Cole County coronavirus cases rise to 32

An additional positive case of the COVID-19 coronavirus was reported Monday afternoon by the Cole County Health Department.
by Jeff Haldiman
Apr. 6 2020 @ 1:20pm

This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. (NIAID-RML via AP)

"This latest positive result was a person who contracted the virus from someone who had tested positive already," said Donna Seidel, registered nurse and clinic manager for the Cole County Health Department. "They are self-quarantining at their home."

Jefferson City hospitals have collected more than 1,000 samples for COVID-19 testing after opening mobile test sites March 23.

As of Monday morning staff at St. Mary's Hospital in Jefferson City had acquired samples from 347 people for COVID-19 tests (about 97 since last week) and sent them to labs. Tests are now expected to be returned within 24-48 hours, according to Jessica Royston, marketing and communications manager for SSM Health Mid-Missouri Region.

Eighteen of the samples have come back positive, while 10 results are pending.

Staff at Capital Region Medical Center have collected 671 samples (279 since last week), according to Director of Marketing Lindsay Huhman. Of those, 28 have come back positive and 11 are pending.

Positive cases are reported to the counties where the patients undergoing the test live.

Physicians' orders are required to receive COVID-19 tests.

A staff member at Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City — who had not been in the facility for weeks — tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

The person had last entered the facility March 12 before going on an unrelated leave for 21 days, Missouri Department of Corrections spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said. The person currently is in quarantine.

This marks the fifth case of COVID-19 reported among DOC staff in the state, Pojmann said. The previous cases, reported between March 27 and April 3, occurred in Jefferson City, northwestern Missouri and Kansas City.

"At this time, there are no other positive COVID-19 test results among any other Algoa staff or offenders or in any other DOC prison that we are aware of," Pojmann said Monday afternoon. "This is the only positive COVID-19 case among Department of Corrections facility staff."

The Miller County Health Department issued its own stay-at-home order Monday as the statewide order became effective.

The order mirrors the state and other local orders, stating that people currently residing within Miller County "shall avoid leaving their homes or places of residence."

"When individuals need to leave their homes or places of residence to work, to access food, prescriptions, health care, and other necessities, or to engage in outdoor activity, they should at all times practice social distancing," the order further states. "Individuals may also go to and from an individual's place of worship, provided that limitations on social gatherings and social distancing are properly adhered to."

Violation of the order is a Class A misdemeanor, Miller County officials said. Food and beverage facilities found to be non-compliant may be subject to suspension of their operating permit for creating an imminent health hazard. The order is in effect until April 24 but could be extended.

This article was updated at 2:05 p.m. April 6, 2020, to add information from the Department of Corrections.

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